The aim of the study was to define and characterize the optical behavior of the tear film during visual fixation in humans on en-face optical coherence tomography (OCT). We included 20 healthy participants, 60% female, aged from 25 to 42 years (33.05 ± 4.97 [mean ± SD]) and ten patients with severe dry eye, 50% female, aged from 26 to 42 years (33.7 ± 5.31). To perform high-resolution tear film imaging, participants were asked to gaze at the internal fixation point in the spectral-domain anterior segment OCT device, and meanwhile scanning session was executed at the following time-points after blinking: at the 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th , 5 th , and 6 th second. After one hour, OCT imaging was repeated (second session) by a different operator masked to the study to verify the reliability of results. During each measuring session, a pulse oximetry was used for continuously measuring the heart rate and oxygen saturation (SpO 2 %). A preliminary experiment was also performed to test the absence of geometric patterns from the anterior surface of a motionless artificial eye. OCT imaging showed a motionless, stable anterior surface of the artificial eye and in dry eye patients. Conversely, in the healthy participants of the study, a bull’s eye pattern of the tear film was detected by OCT at the 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th , 5 th , and 6 th second after blinking, respectively, in 45%, 60%, 45%, 60%, and 40% of OCT scans during the first session, and in 35%, 65%, 65%, 60%, and 35% of cases in the second session. Overall, a total of 200 OCT scans were performed in normal human population. A significant correlation was found between the novel tear film pattern and heart rate during the first and the second session (p < 0.01) in healthy eyes. Conversely, no correlation was revealed with SpO2%. Intraclass correlation (ICC) analysis for OCT imaging of the tear film revealed a statistically significant reproducibility of the results (ICC = 0.838; p < 0.01), indicating the high level of reliability of the method, independently of heart rate and SpO2% variables. There exists a novel, geometric pattern of the tear film during visual fixation detectable by en-face OCT, which is mainly evident as heart rate increases. Its discovery implies in turn the presence of a specific vibration (or imperceptible motion) of the tear film that, at present, is not recognized and corrected by the OCT software (in image postprocessing) unlike other eyeball movements.

The Bull’s Eye Pattern of the Tear Film in Humans during Visual Fixation on En-Face Optical Coherence Tomography

Napoli, Pietro Emanuele
;
Nioi, Matteo;d’Aloja, Ernesto;Fossarello, Maurizio
2019-01-01

Abstract

The aim of the study was to define and characterize the optical behavior of the tear film during visual fixation in humans on en-face optical coherence tomography (OCT). We included 20 healthy participants, 60% female, aged from 25 to 42 years (33.05 ± 4.97 [mean ± SD]) and ten patients with severe dry eye, 50% female, aged from 26 to 42 years (33.7 ± 5.31). To perform high-resolution tear film imaging, participants were asked to gaze at the internal fixation point in the spectral-domain anterior segment OCT device, and meanwhile scanning session was executed at the following time-points after blinking: at the 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th , 5 th , and 6 th second. After one hour, OCT imaging was repeated (second session) by a different operator masked to the study to verify the reliability of results. During each measuring session, a pulse oximetry was used for continuously measuring the heart rate and oxygen saturation (SpO 2 %). A preliminary experiment was also performed to test the absence of geometric patterns from the anterior surface of a motionless artificial eye. OCT imaging showed a motionless, stable anterior surface of the artificial eye and in dry eye patients. Conversely, in the healthy participants of the study, a bull’s eye pattern of the tear film was detected by OCT at the 2 nd , 3 rd , 4 th , 5 th , and 6 th second after blinking, respectively, in 45%, 60%, 45%, 60%, and 40% of OCT scans during the first session, and in 35%, 65%, 65%, 60%, and 35% of cases in the second session. Overall, a total of 200 OCT scans were performed in normal human population. A significant correlation was found between the novel tear film pattern and heart rate during the first and the second session (p < 0.01) in healthy eyes. Conversely, no correlation was revealed with SpO2%. Intraclass correlation (ICC) analysis for OCT imaging of the tear film revealed a statistically significant reproducibility of the results (ICC = 0.838; p < 0.01), indicating the high level of reliability of the method, independently of heart rate and SpO2% variables. There exists a novel, geometric pattern of the tear film during visual fixation detectable by en-face OCT, which is mainly evident as heart rate increases. Its discovery implies in turn the presence of a specific vibration (or imperceptible motion) of the tear film that, at present, is not recognized and corrected by the OCT software (in image postprocessing) unlike other eyeball movements.
2019
Multidisciplinary
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Utilizza questo identificativo per citare o creare un link a questo documento: https://hdl.handle.net/11584/260824
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